(Kaieteur News) Less than 24 hours after Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat flatly denied reports of a pipeline rupture to Demerara Waves, two state regulatory bodies issued a joint statement admitting to a pipeline “anomaly”.

The admission was a complete about-face arguably forced by video evidence publicised by Leader of the Opposition (LOO) Azruddin Mohamed.

On Wednesday night, Bharrat dismissed claims of a structural failure in the ocean, telling Demerara Waves there were “no reports” of a rupture and speculating that routine tests were simply underway. By Thursday, the narrative had shifted: the Minister directed Kaieteur News to a statement issued by the relevant agencies. It should be noted, however, that this project falls under the remit of the Office of the Prime Minister.